Strong community-police connection Most important for the Sanford Police Department is accreditation’s focus on community-oriented policing. “CALEA provides a foundation for us to strengthen our relationship with the community by working together to face challenges and ϐind solutions,” says Captain Eric Pate. The Sanford community has a long history of support for and from the Sanford Police Department. Each ofϐicer was already required to take ongoing Crisis Intervention Training, making de-escalation a priority for all interactions. The department has also participated in community
outreach initiatives like National Night Out and Citizens Academy for more than 30 years. “In Sanford, law enforcement is not all about putting people in jail; it’s about helping people,” says Mayor Chet Mann. “We want to be as transparent as possible with the community and let them know that we are trying to help them as much as we can. We are in this together.” This accreditation provides a framework to increase that sense of community and teamwork across all demographics and generations, he says. To learn more about the accreditation process, visit www.CALEA.org.
DOWNTOWN POLICING THE CITY OF SANFORD partnered with Downtown Sanford, Inc. (DSI) in 2019 to launch a downtown policing initiative to help with trafϐic control, general safety, and community engagement.
feedback from ofϐicers, merchants, and patrons has been extremely positive.”
For FY 2020-21, Sanford City Council allocated $97,600 for downtown policing. The initiative contracts off-duty police ofϐicers to patrol downtown for approximately 55 hours per week. Ofϐicers work in single shifts and walk the downtown core. Downtown ofϐicers provide information about homelessness initiatives, help merchants and visitors with any needs, and offer trafϐic control as needed, such as on high-shopping days when pedestrians may need help crossing the street or backing out of parking spaces. “This program has exceeded all expectations from our downtown board and merchants,” says DSI Executive Director Kelli Laudate. “All Sanford, North Carolina | Page 11
